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Building Communities Around Digital Thought LeadersTue, 03 Mar 2015 14:45:56 +0000en-UShourly1http://wordpress.org/?v=4.0.1Keith Olbermannn says he’s putting an end to Twitter “batting practice”http://awfulannouncing.com/2015/keith-olbermannn-says-hes-putting-end-twitter-batting-practice.html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=keith-olbermannn-says-hes-putting-end-twitter-batting-practice
http://awfulannouncing.com/2015/keith-olbermannn-says-hes-putting-end-twitter-batting-practice.html#commentsTue, 03 Mar 2015 14:45:56 +0000http://awfulannouncing.com/?p=36333Keith Olbermann was suspended by ESPN last week after getting into an ugly Twitter War with Penn State students who were raising money for pediatric cancer. Olbermann’s Twitter persona has been as fiery and combative as the days when he was delivering special comments calling out George W. Bush on MSNBC. The host has casually […]]]>

Keith Olbermann was suspended by ESPN last week after getting into an ugly Twitter War with Penn State students who were raising money for pediatric cancer. Olbermann’s Twitter persona has been as fiery and combative as the days when he was delivering special comments calling out George W. Bush on MSNBC. The host has casually referred to his Twitter scraps as “batting practice” in which he takes swings at anyone who enters into his mentions whether they be NASCAR fans, the New York Daily News, Penn State students, conservatives, or whoever the opponent of the day might be. To Olbermann, it was almost a matter of sport.

However, that approach to Twitter was always going to end poorly. The indiscriminate “batting practice” caught up to Olbermann when he appeared to criticize Penn State students who were fundraising by calling them “pitiful.”

In his return to his eponymous ESPN2 show on Monday, we got the answer: Olbermann said he wouldn’t be taking any more swings in the cage. He called out his own “stupidity” over the tweets, discussed donations to charitable causes, and talked about the need to step away from the “wild west saloon brawling” on Twitter.

As far as Olbermann’s career at ESPN, his stepping away from “batting practice” could be a saving grace for him. If he had continued taking swings at anyone and everyone on Twitter like he was Vladimir Guerrero, he would eventually strike out. Instead, he can focus his energy on what he does best and save it for his show. It’s a decision that could set a positive course for the rest of his ESPN tenure.

Unbelievably, KO also admitted that he didn’t click on the link to discover what was in that original tweet that started it all. He merely responded to the “we are” and it all went downhill from there. Had KO just took the four seconds to click on the link to see what PSU students were doing, none of this would have ever happened.

And really, that says it all about Olbermann making the right decision to step away from his batting practice, doesn’t it? That we get so caught up in the fight on Twitter that we don’t even take time to think about what it is we’re doing. And as we discussed with the abuse towards Curt Schilling’s daughter yesterday, all too often we remove the human element from Twitter, which should never happen. How many jobs could be saved? How many suspensions could be revoked? How much abuse and indignation could be erased… if we all simply thought before we tweeted. As Olbermann discovered, sometimes those lessons are learned the hard way. And hopefully someone else out there learns from Olbermann’s example and puts down the bat as well.

]]>http://awfulannouncing.com/2015/keith-olbermannn-says-hes-putting-end-twitter-batting-practice.html/feed0National Passed Time: Minnie Minosohttp://hallofverygood.com/2015-articles/national-passed-time-minnie-minoso.html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=national-passed-time-minnie-minoso
http://hallofverygood.com/2015-articles/national-passed-time-minnie-minoso.html#commentsTue, 03 Mar 2015 07:36:18 +0000http://hallofverygood.com/?p=5806Saturnino Orestes Armas Arrieta Minoso, better known as “Minnie,” stepped to the plate as a Major Leaguer on April 19, 1949 when he was 23 (or 26*) years old. His final major league swing was taken on October 5, 1980 when he was 54. What happened in the ensuring 31 years made Minoso a legend […]]]>

Saturnino Orestes Armas Arrieta Minoso, better known as “Minnie,” stepped to the plate as a Major Leaguer on April 19, 1949 when he was 23 (or 26*) years old. His final major league swing was taken on October 5, 1980 when he was 54.

What happened in the ensuring 31 years made Minoso a legend in Chicago, a near Hall of Famer and a bit of a sideshow which may have actually improved his chances at immortality.

Born in Cuba, Minoso began playing baseball as a cane field worker, organizing his own youth team. At 19, he talked his way onto a local and company team where he earned less than $25 a week playing for both franchises. He became a star in 1945 when he earned Rookie of the Year honors while hitting .300 for Marianao in Havana.

The following year he signed a contract with the New York Cubans of the Negro National League.

Minoso played in New York for three seasons, helping to lead the team to victory in the Negro League World Series in 1947. In 1947 and 1948, he started the Negro League East-West Game (the league’s All-Star Game) at third base. By the end of 1948, the Negro Leagues were starting to be plundered by Major League Baseball after Jackie Robinson’s successful integration of the game with the Brooklyn Dodgers. Minoso was one of those scooped up, signed by the Cleveland Indians, who had already featured the first black American Leaguer, Larry Doby.

Playing nine games in 1949, and becoming the first black Latino to play in the Majors, Minoso collected the first of his 1,963 hits on May 4. But with all his talent, he could not find his place on the team and spent much of his time in the minor leagues where he dominated. The Indians still had no room for the speedy hitter and traded him to the Chicago White Sox on April 30, 1951.

The very next day, Minoso became the first black player in Chicago White Sox history. Starting at third base and batting third, he introduced himself with authority, hitting a two-run home run in his first-ever Chicago at bat.

Minoso had found a home.

Over the next decade, he was one of the building blocks of the “Go Go Sox”, a team based on a speed and pitching. In a melancholy coincidence, Minoso was not on the team during the team’s lone World Series appearance of the ’50s, having been traded back to Cleveland in 1958 and the Sox advancing to the Fall Classic in 1959.

From his debut until the end of his first run with the Sox (1951-1957), Minoso led the league in stolen bases twice and triples three times. He also was the league leader in hit by pitch six of seven seasons. Named to the American League All-Star team five times during that period, he also finished fourth in the MVP vote twice (1953 and 1954).

After he brief sojourn to Cleveland, the White Sox, still under the ownership of Bill Veeck, who had signed Minoso originally, brought him back for the 1960 season. In his second Chicago stint, Minoso led the league in hits and hit by pitch and earned his last of three Gold Gloves. He was traded again after 1961 and played a season each for St. Louis and Washington before returning to Chicago for one last time in 1964.

Or so everyone thought.

Upon his retirement in 1964, Minoso was considered a upper-tier player but received only 1.8% of the vote in his first appearance on the Hall of Fame ballot in 1969. According to the rules governing the Hall of Fame, Minoso’s low vote total meant that he was dropped from the ballot.

All the while, Minoso continued his ball playing career by heading south to the Mexican League. He would play eight seasons, now as a slower-footed first baseman, until 1973 when he finally retired for good at the age of 48. As a 48-year-old, to be fair, he had a heck of a season, hitting .265, 12 home runs and batting in 83 runs.

Then, in 1976, Veeck had re-purchased the Chicago White Sox and offered the once nimble infielder a chance to play professional baseball in a fourth decade. At the time, only thirteen men had played in parts of four decades and the last two (Ted Williams and former White Sox pitcher Early Wynn) had not suited up since 1963. So, Minoso made history, yet again, when he returned to the field on September 1, 1976 for the White Sox. Although he went hitless in his first game, the following day he singled to left in the second inning becoming the oldest Major Leaguer to ever record a hit, two months shy of his 51st birthday. He played a final game on September 13 and hung up his cleats for the second time.

In October 1980, Veeck gave Minoso a chance to stand alone in the record books.

The now 54-year-old coach was activated for the last two days of the season allowing him to become the only modern-day five-decade player. Nick Altrock, a pitcher who debuted with the Louisville Colonels in 1898, was a pinch-hitter for the Washington Senators in 1933. Minoso went hitless in two at-bats in two games.

Note: In 1990, White Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf tried to get Minoso an at bat in the final season of Comiskey Park, but baseball commissioner Fay Vincent did not think it was “in the best interest of baseball.”

As this was his, truly, final at-bat. Mr. Minoso was returned to the Hall of Fame ballot in 1986. And although his statistics had not changed, his reputation earned him slightly more popularity, finding himself on more than 20% of the ballots on two occasions. However, the Hall of Fame requires players to earn 75% of the vote to be placed among the pantheon of greats. After 1999, he was dropped from the writers’ ballot and his case for enshrinement was handed to a Veterans Committee.

In the most recent election by the committee, Minoso failed to earn induction, finding himself one vote shy of the nine needed to carry him into the Hall. It is unlikely that he will ever get in, although the Hall of Fame has an unusual, and disconcerting history, of admitting candidates after they have died and are unable to enjoy the accolades. The most recent example is Chicago Cubs third baseman Ron Santo.

But the White Sox never doubted Minoso’s greatness. They retired his jersey number, 9, in 1983 and unveiled a statue in his honor outside of U.S. Cellular Field on September 2004. Working as a White Sox coach, Minoso was, by now, a franchise legend. Similar in personality to his north side counterpart, Ernie “Mr. Cub” Banks, Minoso was often called “Mr. White Sox.” An ambassador for the sport, he was considered a mentor by even current players. White Sox shortstop Alexei Ramirez, also from Cuba, felt that Minoso was “like a father.”

Even in his “retirement”, Minoso still had a bit of the national pastime in him. The Independent League St. Paul Saints, run by Veeck’s grandson Mike, allowed Minoso’s the honor of an at-bat in 1993, when the former slugger was 67. He would ground out to the pitcher. A decade later, in his last-ever professional at-bat, Minoso walked. It must have been a sight seeing a 77-year-old man trot down the basepaths becoming, probably, the only person in baseball history with a career that spanned seven decades.

Minnie Minoso died on March 1, 2015 at the age of 90.

* There are debates about whether Mr. Minoso was born in 1925, or 1923, or 1922. Various articles have his death listed at age 89, 90 and 92. I have decided to use 1925, which is the date used by Baseball-Reference.

As always, you can see more of Josh Eisenberg’s work over at Obit of the Day.

]]>http://hallofverygood.com/2015-articles/national-passed-time-minnie-minoso.html/feed0For Cowboys, decision to part with DeMarco Murray should be easyhttp://bloguin.com/thisgivensunday/2015-articles/for-cowboys-decision-to-part-with-demarco-murray-should-be-easy.html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=for-cowboys-decision-to-part-with-demarco-murray-should-be-easy
http://bloguin.com/thisgivensunday/2015-articles/for-cowboys-decision-to-part-with-demarco-murray-should-be-easy.html#commentsTue, 03 Mar 2015 06:05:02 +0000http://bloguin.com/thisgivensunday/?p=8766DeMarco Murray might only be 27 years old, but he’s coming off a season in which he carried the ball more frequently than all but seven backs in NFL history. Backs who receive as many touches as he did in 2014 are typically cursed, and it also appeared last season was an aberration for a […]]]>

DeMarco Murray might only be 27 years old, but he’s coming off a season in which he carried the ball more frequently than all but seven backs in NFL history. Backs who receive as many touches as he did in 2014 are typically cursed, and it also appeared last season was an aberration for a player who has dealt with injuries throughout his career.

That’s why it was a no-brainer for the Cowboys to prioritize wide receiver Dez Bryant over Murray, which is officially the case now that Bryant has been hit with the franchise tag.

Murray is now just a week away from becoming an unrestricted free agent. And because he led the NFL in rushing by a 484-yard margin last season, he’s likely to be paid elite money on the open market. But the Cowboys shouldn’t even considering getting in on the sweepstakes.

Again, not only is Murray probably about to decline while playing a non-premium position, but the odds indicate his body will start to break down at a quick rate. He may be an exception to the rule, but he still isn’t worth a long-term investment, particularly from the Cowboys.

That’s because Dallas doesn’t have to pay big bucks to a back in order to have success on the ground. This was the most balanced offense in the NFL last season, which was undoubtedly huge for a team that won its first division title in half a decade. But it was that jacked-up offensive line that carried said offensive attack.

The Cowboys used three first-round picks in a four-year period on offensive linemen who are all now Pro Bowlers so that they wouldn’t have to give monster contracts to running backs. This is the type of offense that can succeed with almost anyone in the backfield, which we received proof of looking at backup Joseph Randle in 2014.

Randle, a fifth-round pick in 2013, averaged 6.7 yards per carry behind that line in his second season, which led all NFL running backs who carried the rock at least 50 times. No other back on that list of qualifiers averaged more than 5.8 yards per rush.

That doesn’t mean that Randle is the answer, but a committee involving him is probably good enough for the Cowboys to sustain themselves on offense, especially as stud linemen Tyron Smith, Travis Frederick and Zack Martin (all just 24 years old) continue to improve.

The Cowboys don’t need DeMarco Murray as much as DeMarco Murray needs the Cowboys. And it’s a good sign that the franchise seems to understand that.

]]>http://bloguin.com/thisgivensunday/2015-articles/for-cowboys-decision-to-part-with-demarco-murray-should-be-easy.html/feed0Hockey Fights of the Week: 2/23 – 3/1http://bloguin.com/puckdrunklove/2015-articles/hockey-fights-week-223-31.html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=hockey-fights-week-223-31
http://bloguin.com/puckdrunklove/2015-articles/hockey-fights-week-223-31.html#commentsTue, 03 Mar 2015 04:14:43 +0000http://bloguin.com/puckdrunklove/?p=6918The past week featured a ton of hot action on the ice and a boatload of trades off the ice. The action on trade day may have lacked big names, but a lot of players were moved and that’s always exciting. Unfortunately, that same excitement may not be found in this week’s edition of Hockey […]]]>

The past week featured a ton of hot action on the ice and a boatload of trades off the ice. The action on trade day may have lacked big names, but a lot of players were moved and that’s always exciting. Unfortunately, that same excitement may not be found in this week’s edition of Hockey Fights of the Week.

5. Mark Fraser (NJ) vs Jared Boll (CBJ) – Feb. 28th

The theatrics of this fight outweigh the fight itself. It takes almost a full 30 seconds before the gloves hit the ice and another 15 before a punch of any kind finds the mark. From there, Boll is swinging wildly with punches which look like they belong in a movie.

4. Mark Borowiecki (OTT) vs Francois Beauchemin (ANA) – Feb. 25th

This was a quick one, but there was enough anger from Borowiecki for a dozen scraps.

3. Clayton Stoner (ANA) vs Curtis McKenzie (DAL) – Mar. 1

There’s really no question who wins this one. Stoner maintains an advantage throughout almost the entire fight and McKenzie doesn’t respond until the fight is pretty much wrapped up.

2. Tom Wilson (WAS) vs Brett Bellemore (CAR) – Feb. 27th

Wilson had a score to settle and he appears to have done so in this one. Wow. Those are some angry “trying to kill the other guy” punches if we’ve ever seen them.

1. Gabriel Landeskog (COL) vs Shea Weber (NSH) – Feb. 24th

This was a great fight on its own, but the tight camera view really makes this one an exciting bout. Besides, who doesn’t love a classic captain vs. captain fight?

]]>http://bloguin.com/puckdrunklove/2015-articles/hockey-fights-week-223-31.html/feed0Hassan Whiteside, Alex Len ejected after getting into wrestling match (VIDEO)http://thesportsdaily.net/hassan-whiteside-alex-len-ejected-after-getting-into-wrestling-match-video/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=hassan-whiteside-alex-len-ejected-after-getting-into-wrestling-match-video
http://thesportsdaily.net/hassan-whiteside-alex-len-ejected-after-getting-into-wrestling-match-video/#commentsTue, 03 Mar 2015 03:54:35 +0000http://thesportsdaily.net/?p=30658It’s always entertaining when two NBA big men battle it out on the court. Monday night’s game between the Miami Heat and Phoenix Suns featured exactly that, when Hassan Whiteside and Alex Len got into a scuffle. It all started when Whiteside dunked all over Len in the third quarter of the game. The Suns […]]]>

It’s always entertaining when two NBA big men battle it out on the court.

Monday night’s game between the Miami Heat and Phoenix Suns featured exactly that, when Hassan Whiteside and Alex Len got into a scuffle.

It all started when Whiteside dunked all over Len in the third quarter of the game. The Suns center wasn’t happy about it, so he shoved his counterpart.

Whiteside then went low and attempted to tackle Len, and it wasn’t long before the two were wrestling on the court.

]]>http://thesportsdaily.net/hassan-whiteside-alex-len-ejected-after-getting-into-wrestling-match-video/feed0England Star Arrested In Underage Sex Scandal (UPDATE)http://bloguin.com/32flags/epl/england-star-arrested-underage-sex-scandal.html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=england-star-arrested-underage-sex-scandal
http://bloguin.com/32flags/epl/england-star-arrested-underage-sex-scandal.html#commentsTue, 03 Mar 2015 00:53:18 +0000http://bloguin.com/32flags/?p=4307Sources such as Sky Sports, Dan Roan of the BBC and BBC Sport confirm that Sunderland and England winger Adam Johnson has been arrested on suspicion of having sex with a 15 year old girl. News broke this morning that a former English National team player, and current regular Premier League starter, had been arrested […]]]>

Sources such as Sky Sports, Dan Roan of the BBC and BBC Sportconfirm that Sunderland and England winger Adam Johnson has been arrested on suspicion of having sex with a 15 year old girl.

BREAKING: Adam Johnson arrested on suspicion of sexual activity with a girl under the age of 16 #SSNHQ

The announcements above followed shortly after. Presently, Adam Johnson should be considered innocent until proven guilty. This kind of story, whether true or false, has the potential to ruin a career.

Adam Johnson’s career started at Middlesbrough, where he was considered one of the brighter talents to come through. After becoming one of the hotter English properties in the league, Johnson transferred to Manchester City. At City, Johnson found it difficult to break into the team of superstars and ended up transferring to his hometown club of Sunderland in 2012.

Here he found a regular spot in the team and had something of a renaissance in the 2013/14 season. He received the Barclays Player of the Month award for his form in January 2014. Johnson also helped Sunderland make it to the League Cup final, where they eventually lost to Manchester City. Johnson currently has 4 goals in 17 appearances this season.

More on this story as it develops.

—

UPDATE: BBC report that Sunderland has suspended Johnson “pending the outcome of the police investigation” and will “make no further comment on the arrest.”

]]>http://bloguin.com/32flags/epl/england-star-arrested-underage-sex-scandal.html/feed0Mark Cuban will be the President in ‘Sharknado 3′http://awfulannouncing.com/the-locker/mark-cuban-president-sharknado-3.html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=mark-cuban-president-sharknado-3
http://awfulannouncing.com/the-locker/mark-cuban-president-sharknado-3.html#commentsTue, 03 Mar 2015 00:05:55 +0000http://awfulannouncing.com/?p=36313Oh, this is because of the Shark Tank thing, right? We get it. Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban, also a “shark” investor on the hit ABC show, has been cast as the President of the United States in Syfy’s Sharknado 3. While you try to comprehend that, also consider that conservative pundit Ann Coulter will […]]]>

Oh, this is because of the Shark Tank thing, right? We get it.

Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban, also a “shark” investor on the hit ABC show, has been cast as the President of the United States in Syfy’s Sharknado 3. While you try to comprehend that, also consider that conservative pundit Ann Coulter will be playing his vice president. Hopefully, we see those two in a situation room type of situation. If the Sharknado 3 screenwriters haven’t written that scene yet, consider that free advice.

Just in case you’re unfamiliar with Syfy’s schlock franchise, here is a trailer for the saga’s previous chapter, Sharknado 2.

The action in Sharknado 3 takes place in Washington, D.C., which is presumably why the president would be involved. Although after the third one of these shark storm events, you’d think the White House would be keeping a close eye on such natural disasters.

Does Cuban have a heroic or tragic story arc? One might guess that the president would stand up against these aquatic attackers and pass out some vengeful judgment. Does he have a signature line on Shark Tank, like “No way you’re getting my money”? This would probably be a good place to use something like that.

Joining Cuban and Coulter in the Sharknado 3 cast are franchise stars Ian Ziering and Tara Reid, along with Bo Derek, Jerry Springer, Chris Kirkpatrick, Chris Jericho and possibly some others who are too embarrassed to be named just yet. This whole thing will attack your televisions and Twitter feeds in late July.

]]>http://awfulannouncing.com/the-locker/mark-cuban-president-sharknado-3.html/feed0The 5 Most Exciting One-Bid Conference Tournamentshttp://bloguin.com/thestudentsection/basketball/the-5-most-exciting-one-bid-conference-tournaments.html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=the-5-most-exciting-one-bid-conference-tournaments
http://bloguin.com/thestudentsection/basketball/the-5-most-exciting-one-bid-conference-tournaments.html#commentsMon, 02 Mar 2015 22:40:40 +0000http://bloguin.com/thestudentsection/?p=7901Championship Week is one of the best times of the year, a time when the Davids of the world get a chance to feel like Goliath. It is a chance for teams from leagues like the Atlantic Sun, SWAC, and Big Sky get to play on ESPN, and get a chance to make it to […]]]>

Championship Week is one of the best times of the year, a time when the Davids of the world get a chance to feel like Goliath. It is a chance for teams from leagues like the Atlantic Sun, SWAC, and Big Sky get to play on ESPN, and get a chance to make it to college basketball’s ultimate prize, the NCAA tournament.

Among all these conference tournaments, the tournaments with only one bid on the line are truly the best, if the most unfair. Two months of conference play get reduced to a mere week of hectic, winner-take-all basketball played with a desperation unseen at other times of the year. A top seed’s heart can get broken, or a sub-.500 team can win three games in three days and make it to the Dance. If you’re looking for tournaments to watch out for, make sure to keep an eye on these five:

*

1. Big Sky

Sacramento State has the inside track on its first conference championship. The Hornets have not even had a winning season since becoming a Division I program. However, NCAA tournament dreams could be dashed by three other contenders. Perennial power Montana; Eastern Washington, which upset Indiana earlier this year; and Northern Arizona all sit within striking distance of the Hornets.

The chief concern among these teams is Eastern Washington. The Eagles are the top ranked Big Sky team in KenPom at 140, have a win at Indiana, and a single-digit loss at SMU. They’re also 18th in the nation in 3-point shooting, and are one of the fastest playing teams in the country, which provides for some entertaining games. Speaking of entertainment, Eastern Washington shoots 39.6 percent on 3-pointers as a team in conference play, but that just ranks fifth in the conference. Sacramento State leads at 42.9 percent. Come for the atmosphere, stay for the long-range bombing.

The regular season champion gets to host the tournament, which is good for the league but bad for potential upsets. Still, the Big Sky will no doubt feature a lot of excitement.

2. Patriot

Ever since reading John Feinstein’s book about the league, The Last Amateurs, I have kept an eye on the Patriot, which has produced some big upsets in tournament play, most recently 15-seed Lehigh’s defeat of Duke in the 2012 tournament. This year the league probably doesn’t have NBA talent as it did when C.J. McCollum played for Lehigh or Mike Muscala for Bucknell, but there is an interesting mix of teams competing in this year’s tournament.

The top six teams in the league get a bye, and the higher seed gets to host each game. That is of particular importance to Bucknell, which won the regular season title. The Bison have lost just one home game in the league, to Colgate, the 2 seed, but have lost to the third seed, Lehigh, and fourth-seeded Lafayette as well, providing for a potentially wide open tournament.

The first round of the tournament will feature an Army-Navy meeting. The Midshipmen swept the regular season series against the Cadets, and also defeated 2-seed Colgate, the potential opponent, at Colgate earlier this season. Bucknell has lost to 8-seed Holy Cross in what could be a quarterfinal meeting as well, which offers an added layer of intrigue to the tournament.

3. Horizon

Valpo has won the league in three of the last four years, but will have a lot of competition this year from three teams that finished within two games of the Crusaders. Valpo has struggled a bit offensively this year, but allowed a league-best 95.5 points per possession in conference play.

Valpo’s biggest stumbling block will likely be Green Bay, which features presumptive conference player of the year Keifer Sykes. He has struggled beyond the arc this year, but has excelled everywhere else for the Phoenix. Both of the top two seeds get byes all the way into the semifinals, and the top remaining seed will get to host the championship, which bodes well for both Valpo and Green Bay.

One team that will have the ability to crash the party is Oakland, which led the league in offense, enough to rank 51st in the nation in KenPom. Oakland had a rough nonconference slate, starting just 4-10, but the Grizzlies have really improved defensively, allowing a point per possession or fewer in the team’s final four games.

4. Sun Belt

The Sun Belt is the third fastest conference in terms of possessions per game, and had three teams tie for the regular season title. Speed plus unpredictability makes for a great conference tournament, and it should do so here as well.

The league hosts the tournament at a neutral site this year in New Orleans, which might give Louisiana-Monroe and Lafayette an advantage over the two Georgia schools gunning for the title.

Sun Belt home teams won just 55 percent of the games in conference play, one of the lower marks across the country. Georgia State looks like the favorite with Ryan Harrow, R.J. Hunter, and Kevin Ware, but Georgia Southern narrowly lost to Illinois and Lafayette took Florida to overtime earlier in the year, so this looks like it will come down to the wire and provide one of the better conference tournaments this March.

5. MAAC

The MAAC doesn’t have many explosive offenses or stout defenses, but what that leaves us with is a conference where a bunch (forgive the pun) of teams are bunched together. Almost a third of the games in conference play finished with a margin of fewer than four points or in overtime, which was tops in the nation.

Iona looks like the favorite, especially with the 42nd-ranked offense in KenPom, a clear outlier in the league. However, even though the Gaels finished 17-3 in league play, they won 10 of those games by six points or fewer, or in overtime. The title game will be in Albany regardless of who plays in it, so Iona’s undefeated record at home this year won’t help the Gaels.

Second-seeded Rider ranks just seventh in the league in offense, and has three overtime wins and three others decided by three points or fewer. The Broncs lead the league defensively, but a lot of that looks like 3-point luck, and if that goes away they could be prone to an upset.

With so many games decided by such small margins, the MAAC tournament, which will be on ESPN3 starting with the quarters on March 7, will definitely be one to tune into… just not if you have trouble getting to sleep.

]]>http://bloguin.com/thestudentsection/basketball/the-5-most-exciting-one-bid-conference-tournaments.html/feed0A weekend with Frank Underwood: ‘House of Cards’ season 3 binge recaphttp://bloguin.com/theapparty/2015-articles/weekend-frank-underwood-house-of-cards-season-3.html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=weekend-frank-underwood-house-of-cards-season-3
http://bloguin.com/theapparty/2015-articles/weekend-frank-underwood-house-of-cards-season-3.html#commentsMon, 02 Mar 2015 19:45:25 +0000http://bloguin.com/theapparty/?p=4972Well, Netflix did it again. They took one of their most popular shows, House of Cards, and premiered its newest season on a Friday, giving viewers the option of watching the entire season over the weekend so they could take it to the water cooler on Monday. (GChat, water cooler, whatever.) Season 3 of the series finally […]]]>

Well, Netflix did it again. They took one of their most popular shows, House of Cards, and premiered its newest season on a Friday, giving viewers the option of watching the entire season over the weekend so they could take it to the water cooler on Monday. (GChat, water cooler, whatever.)

Season 3 of the series finally sees Francis Underwood in the White House, but the tumultuous journey he took to get to the top of America’s political mountain was nothing compared to fending everyone off who wants his spot. (Be warned. There be spoilers ahead.)

At least, that’s what the season wants you to think. Third seasons for television shows are very popular points for the writing team and production values to hit their respective peaks, but the fun in Frank backstabbing and politicking his way into the most unlikely presidential reign ever was not really there this season. While there is plenty of fat for Kevin Spacey to chew, the problem with him as President is that you don’t really get to see when Frank is at his best. There are galavant steps taken to ensure that Frank’s camera-pandering, snake-charming Southern boy remains as evil as ever, but David Fincher and his team played around too much with Presidential duties to make the season stand out above the freshman and sophomore offerings.

Perhaps the most biting example is with Doug Stamper, played with desire and job-creating initiative by Michael Kelly. Stamper became a casualty of Frank’s plan of getting to the Oval Office, as his desire for Rachel Posner, the woman hired by Underwood to undo Peter Russo in season 1 and give Underwood his path to the vice presidency, became a poisonous addition to his role on Frank’s staff.

After Posner took a proverbial public bullet for Stamper and Underwood in season 2, she decided to fight back and ran off from Frank’s stalwart sidekick, eventually knocking him unconscious and leaving him for dead. He’s the man that season 3 opens up with, as his rehabilitation from the injuries induced from that attack become the symbol of the sacrifice necessary for Frank’s rise to power.

The idea is obviously that Frank’s insidious behavior leads to consequences for those close to him (the permeating issue of season 3) but the problem with this particular way of writing the show is that while Frank is involved to an extent, he’s not the main man involved.

Obviously, with any television show, the idea is that you write supporting characters in a way to prop up your main character, but with Stamper, it feels more like he’s supposed to be a peer of Frank’s. That’s fine in shows like Breaking Bad, where it’s obvious from the start that Jesse Pinkman is Walter White’s peer and his character gains that notoriety from viewers. But here, Stamper feels forced. His story is right there in front of you; it’s obvious that he wants more than anything to once again be at the President’s side, but it’s a misread to have him step up and be a peer in this show.

By season’s end, you realize why it had to happen and it sets up season 4 where he’ll be Frank’s go-to guy once more. But as well as Kelly played the role, I don’t feel like he should have been as big a focal point as he was this season. His story could have been told from the shadows instead of him constantly trying to take a step into the limelight, even if his character arc is called to do so.

There comes a point in House of Cards — and if you’ve watched all 39 episodes so far, you saw it around the same time as I did early in season 2 — where the series becomes almost painstakingly self-aware. (Most people say the show jumped the shark with Zoe’s death as the shocking element in the season 2 premiere.) The schmaltz of Underwood’s pining for power was undeniably charming. But after a while, his ability to be infallible in almost every situation became almost too much to bear, like Hulk Hogan winning every match he had with the WWF in the 1980’s or Michael Jordan going 6-for-6 in the NBA Finals.

Frank’s initial brush with greatness in season 1 brought the series unbelievable notoriety, but there was almost an onus on the show to “grow up” a bit the further Frank went up the political food chain, considering the enormity of Frank’s new responsibilities. The things that made Frank so charming were eschewed in favor of “character development,” where the more layers of Frank that were pulled off, you were supposed to realize he was indeed a human being underneath all that snark and cynicism.

The problem with that point of view is that Frank is SUPPOSED to be a send-up of political power. He’s a true caricature that represents the evils of what the power-hungry American politician strives for. In his biggest story arc, he goes after unemployment in his usual ruthless way. Assuming 10 million unemployed, Frank took the available funds from the Disaster Relief Fund to employ those without work. And because every senator and representative he faced on the issue opposed him, he decided to make an example of Washington D.C. (and its lack of a state-led government) by teaming with the mayor to get those unemployed to work. And it actually succeeded until an impending natural disaster was threatening to wipe out the money he appropriated. (It should also be noted he appropriated it semi-illegally, because of course it was.)

That type of story was typical Underwood; he had an idea and he was going to make it work regardless of the obstacles in front of him. It behooved him to act that way in making a name for himself, much like he did in education and the Military Sexual Assault bill that was championed by his wife, Claire.

Claire takes on a much greater role in season 3 as the First Lady, and Robin Wright most definitely steps up to the plate with some of her most impressive acting yet in the series. (Wright also directed a couple episodes this season.) Perhaps the most intriguing portion of this season is Claire being the person fighting most of Frank’s international battles, thanks to her appointment as the U.S. representative to the United Nations. Claire was granted the spot by Frank after she was shot down in Congress by a close vote, leading the nepotism to run rampant in Frank’s dealings with Russia.

Beginning with a state visit to the White House, Lars Mikkelsen’s President Viktor Petrov shows interest in Claire from the beginning, going so far as to finish a Russian traditional dance with a kiss in front of Frank and their guests. It’s only the beginning, as Petrov had determined Claire’s weakness as an international bureaucrat and exploits it multiple times over the course of the season. (I’d be remiss in not mentioning the cameo by Pussy Riot, who got a chance to play themselves as revolutionary upstarts and perform a music video over the end credits in “Chapter 29.”)

But it’s the way the season ends that shows a completely different tone for the show going forward. In the first two seasons, Frank’s underhanded victories are canonized and become bookends on the stories written about his steps to the top. But this season ends with a pyrrhic victory, as Doug finally disposes of Rachel and Frank wins the Iowa caucus.

However, the final scene is of Claire walking out on Frank after both her forced resignation at the U.N. and Frank physically threatening her about her place in their marriage. Never before has a United States president in the modern age gone as a true bachelor, but the end of season 3 shows that Frank will have to at least consider it. More importantly, it shows that for the first time in a long time, the chinks in Frank’s armor are starting to become more prominent. The AmWorks bill was shot down in anticipation of the hurricane, his relationship with Russia and his country’s standing in the Middle East was being questioned. By the end, the only person that is truly by his side is Doug, who went to extreme lengths to make himself a part of Frank’s inner circle once more.

Even if they weren’t intentional, the nods to Breaking Bad in the season finale were a nice touch as Doug traveled to Santa Fe. A look to the sky sees two planes crossing high overhead, alluding to the plane crash that ended season 2 in Bad, and once Doug finds Rachel (after really taking it to Gavin upon finding out the hacker escaped to Caracas and lied to him about her death), a long drive into the middle of the desert leads to a dastardly burial deed. This time, instead of giant tubs of money being buried, it’s Rachel, but not before Doug really goes the extra mile in making you think he had a change of heart.

(Quick note about that scene: The way it’s implied, Doug didn’t necessarily bury her because of the orders from Frank insomuch as it was because she was no longer Rachel after changing her identity and because she screwed him over after he had feelings for her. Now THAT is cold blooded. He and Frank deserve each other.)

We’re now two years into the great Netflix television series experiment with House of Cards, and the big question has always been whether or not there’s staying power for the show after the viewer consumes it and moves on. Season 1 was an incredible barrage of soapy pulp, with Frank’s debonair anti-hero shining bright amongst the other television giants, but Season 2 saw the show give in to a necessity to grow up a bit, which undercut its growth, ironically. With Season 3, it seems like the game Frank loves to play won’t stick in the White House, and the question now becomes how quickly his downfall will progress.

Season 4 will obviously show his run for re-election, but the question is whether or not Netflix will ask Fincher to extend that downfall another season or two, a task that became quite the burden for shows like The Sopranos or Mad Men, whose natural progressions tended to be on the shorter side, yet popularity told the networks otherwise. It almost seems like there’s not much else the series can do with Frank, and if we’ve indeed hit the peak of what his undeniably evil tendencies can bring, then it’s without much doubt at all that the man who actually pissed on his father’s grave ranks amongst the pantheon of evil greats on the Silver Screen. The question is whether or not his downfall will be nearly as entertaining as his rise.

]]>http://bloguin.com/theapparty/2015-articles/weekend-frank-underwood-house-of-cards-season-3.html/feed0What other Rob Manfred ideas can piss off baseball fans?http://bloguin.com/theoutsidecorner/2015-articles/rob-manfred-ideas-can-piss-baseball-fans.html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rob-manfred-ideas-can-piss-baseball-fans
http://bloguin.com/theoutsidecorner/2015-articles/rob-manfred-ideas-can-piss-baseball-fans.html#commentsWed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000http://bloguin.com/theoutsidecorner/?p=17450Eliminating shifts. Shortening the season. Pace of play rules… Rob Manfred has said that “he’ll listen” on nearly every way to improve the game of baseball during his tenure as commissioner. Naturally, the fact that he’s even brought up the previous three topics (despite not even coming close to acting on the first two) has […]]]>

Eliminating shifts.

Shortening the season.

Pace of play rules…

Rob Manfred has said that “he’ll listen” on nearly every way to improve the game of baseball during his tenure as commissioner. Naturally, the fact that he’s even brought up the previous three topics (despite not even coming close to acting on the first two) has rubbed some baseball fans the wrong way. That got me thinking about what *other* ideas Manfred could discuss that would cause baseball fans to get extremely pissed off…even if he just mentions any of these topics in a casual conversation.

Contraction. Remember when Bud Selig and baseball’s owners flirted with contraction in 2001, and everyone lost their damn minds? That was fun. Imagine if Manfred started going down that rabbit hole again. The baseball world would have a meltdown. MLB hasn’t really touched the issue again, and the league would be wise to avoid it going forward. The league’s membership has been remarkably consistent – it’s only added four teams in the last 35 years, and only one team (the Montreal Expos) has been relocated. Compared to the other American pro sports, MLB has been the model of stability in terms of franchises entering or finding new homes. Now, relocation for the A’s or Rays could still be a possibility that improves the game, but completely killing one of those teams? It’s not even worth discussing.

Universal DH. Forcing NL teams to use the DH is the most obvious solution to help increase offense in the game and help the NL field a more competent overall slate of teams, but there are still some baseball purists that crave watching pitchers hit. They claim that National League baseball is “real” and “requires strategy”, despite the fact that every damn NL manager uses the same general strategies when a pitcher is scheduled to come to the plate. Whatever – implementing a universal DH would be an easy fix (though it’s not a magic bullet to fix all of baseball’s woes), one that the union likely wouldn’t fight a lick, and one that would annoy the hell out of people who love sac bunts.

KANSAS CITY, MO – SEPTEMBER 30: The Oakland Athletics line up during pre-game ceremonies for their American League Wild Card game against the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium on September 30, 2014 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Ed Zurga/Getty Images)

Playoff expansion. I was a young buck in 1995, the first season in which MLB had a Wild Card make the playoffs. But TOC was alive and kicking in 2011 when MLB introduced the second Wild Card, and I remember the backlash towards baseball (especially when the Braves were eliminated from the Postseason after one loss, thanks in large part to a dubious infield fly call) after the new format was announced. So how could Commissioner Manfred somehow make that idea worse? MORE PLAYOFF TEAMS! Let’s add a third Wild Card to each league, and give the top two division winners byes into the Division Series! Perfect!

(for the record…I do believe that the Wild Card playoff should be best of three instead of a winner take all one game, but that’s just me).

Balanced schedule. A balanced schedule would be a great idea. It’s silly that two teams in the same division don’t play the same interleague opponents. An an example of this silliness, the Angels go to San Francisco, have six with the Dodgers, and have split series with the Rockies and Diamondbacks…while the Mariners go to Los Angeles, have six with the Rockies, and have split series with the Giants and Padres. Those interleague games could be the difference in the AL West. However, if Manfred were to balance the schedule, you’d get fans pissed off that they’d be seeing their division rivals less, would be seeing interleague rivals less, and would be seeing intra-league teams more. You can’t please everyone.

CHICAGO, IL – MAY 3: Manager Mike Matheny #22 of the St. Louis Cardinals (R) takes out relief pitcher Randy Choate #36 during the eighth inning against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field on May 3, 2014 in Chicago, Illinois. The Cubs defeated the Cardinals 3-0. (Photo by Brian Kersey/Getty Images)

Limiting/adjusting pitching changes. Please don’t do this. Yes, it sucks that some pitchers and hitters are limited and can’t hit/pitch against lefties/righties, but it’s just like the shift – if you suck at something, maybe try to adapt. Saying that pitchers would have to face more than one batter in an inning or pitch until the end of the inning or what have you would create regulations for a problem that isn’t there. It’s literally all a matter of trying to speed up the game and increase offense – there are easier ways to do that than changing part of the basic fabric of the game.

Pitch clock. It’s going to be at the minor league level this year…and people already hate it. “The best part about baseball is that there isn’t a clock!” Well, everything is still timed, and there’s a ton of dead time we can slice out of games without anyone noticing. Now, putting up a giant clock and calling attention to it is absolutely not the right way to go about things, but I don’t think there’s anything wrong with having a couple of smaller clocks around, timing how long pitchers take, and letting them know just how much damn time they’re wasting on nothing. Adding a pitch clock won’t destroy the game, no matter what purists may believe.